Does Anyone Really Care Anymore

I read this interesting review about Prince of Thorns recently. What got me thinking wasn’t the review itself but this statement: 

“I’d heard so much that I was starting to fall into the ‘There is so much hype that it is bound to be terrible’ camp.”

This is not the first time I’ve come across a statement like this. I mean, I’ve read something similar…a lot. You’ve probably heard or felt this way before. How sad is it so many people assume books that are raved about are terrible?

Why do we assume this? Maybe it’s the same reasoning behind movies. You know, if critics hate it that means people would love it.

Times are changing. When deciding to read a book, I never pay attention to what well-known authors or publications think. I go straight to the user reviews- even when I’m in a store looking at the book. I don’t buy it until I pull out my iPhone and check Goodreads.

Does anyone really care what critics think anymore? I don’t know or care who’s on The NY Times Best Sellers List. I ignore those praising quotes on the book’s cover and first page. Having Stephen King say the book is brilliant is not going to convince me to read it. It doesn’t even make me consider reading it. More and more, people are letting readers like themselves help them determine if a book is worth their time.